FOX announces summer schedule and premieres

SUMMER 2004: FOX CHANGES THE FACE OF NETWORK TELEVISION

NETWORK ANNOUNCES BEGINNING OF NEW 2004 SCHEDULE – PREMIERES SIX NEW SERIES IN JUNE NEW DRAMAS: "THE JURY" AND "NORTH SHORE" DEBUT COMEDIES: "METHOD & RED" AND "QUINTUPLETS" UNSCRIPTED EXCITEMENT ON "THE CASINO," AND PARIS AND NICOLE RETURN ON "THE SIMPLE LIFE 2" June Premieres Mark Initial Phase of Year-Round Programming on FOX New Series Will Air Encore Episode Each Week

A brand-new television season begins in June on FOX, when the network launches six new series, including scripted dramas THE JURY and NORTH SHORE; scripted comedies METHOD & RED and QUINTUPLETS; and unscripted series THE CASINO and THE SIMPLE LIFE 2. The programming strategy also includes regularly scheduled encore episodes for new series to maximize viewing opportunities, it was announced today by Gail Berman, President of Entertainment, FOX Broadcasting Company.

The new programming will be complemented by established FOX series on a new slate that marks a significant step forward in the network's efforts to present a bona fide year-round schedule – an achievement two years in the planning.

"FOX has, once again, started a television revolution. This time we are creating a real year-round schedule," Berman said. "This is no longer a bold experiment; FOX is redefining the television season. Beginning in June, within days of this season ending, we will introduce a schedule designed to keep our offerings fresh and compelling, and our viewers engaged, continually throughout the year."

FOX began to experiment with year-round program development two years ago and saw gratifying results this season with the successful launches of THE O.C. last summer and THE SIMPLE LIFE in December. The summer 2004 slate marks the first full phase of a year-round plan that will include additional series launches in July, September and January.

"Our successful transition to year-round programming is a testimony to the extraordinary talent of the FOX team," Berman said, saluting the network's determination and skill. "Every part of the network has been involved – from development to marketing to business affairs to sales and affiliate relations," she said. "Together we have created an entirely new programming model as FOX begins to change the face of network television."

Tuesday will be the first night to roll out, beginning Tuesday, June 8, with back-to-back episodes of THE BERNIE MAC SHOW (an original at 8:00 PM and an encore at 8:30 PM ET/PT), followed by the first new series premiere: THE JURY (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), an intense courtroom drama from Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson ("Rain Man," "The Natural," "Diner"), Emmy Award-winning writer Tom Fontana ("Oz," "Homicide: Life on the Street"), Peabody Award-winning writer James Yoshimura ("Homicide: Life on the Street") and James Finnerty ("Oz"). This innovative series brings viewers into the jury room to watch the panelists try to answer the many questions posed during a trial. With the action focused on the jury's deliberations, the facts of the case are exposed through flashbacks of testimony and crime footage. A final flashback after the verdict will let viewers see the crime as it actually happened, enabling them to draw their own conclusions about whether the jury made the right decision.

Encores of THE JURY will air Fridays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

Monday on FOX will be a night full of fun, excitement, dazzling visuals and drama with the series NORTH SHORE and THE CASINO premiering Monday, June 14.

NORTH SHORE (Mondays, 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT), is a lush, 20-something ensemble drama set in a luxury hotel in Hawaii. At the center of the series is Danny Peel (Kristoffer Polaha, "America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story"), the popular head of guest relations, and the hotel's new general manager, who happens to be Danny's beautiful ex-girlfriend Nicole (Brooke Burns, "Shallow Hal"). The series will delve into relationships among the recurring characters, with the added intrigue of stories about the hotel's affluent and powerful guests.

Encores of NORTH SHORE will air Fridays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).

THE CASINO (Mondays, 9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) is created and executive-produced by reality titan Mark Burnett ("The Apprentice," "Survivor"). THE CASINO will provide an extraordinary 24/7, behind-the-scenes look at the real-life dramas unfolding at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas as its new owners, Tim Poster and Tom Breitling, take over the business and attempt to bring back the glory of the hotel's "Rat Pack" heyday. The series will go beyond the challenges facing Poster and Breitling to explore the personal dramas unfolding among guests and some of the 3,000 employees inside this world – from cocktail waitresses, to pit bosses, to security, management and entertainers.

Encores of THE CASINO will air Thursdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

FOX will unveil a new comedy night on Wednesday, June 16 with a special bonus episode of THE SIMPLE LIFE 2 opening the night (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT), followed by QUINTUPLETS (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), the regularly-scheduled SIMPLE LIFE 2 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT) and METHOD & RED (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT).

QUINTUPLETS (working title) (Wednesdays, 8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT), created by Mark Reisman ("Frasier") and starring Andy Richter ("Andy Richter Controls the Universe"), is an ensemble comedy about the trials and tribulations of raising 15-year-old quintuplets who are no longer the precious little tykes they were as infants. Torn between their dependence on each other and the need to strike out on their own, the quintuplets must deal with the problems of living their teenage years as one of five siblings. Their father, Bob (Richter), craves alone time – even if it's for a root canal – while their mother, Carol, is having trouble letting go of her "little babies."

Encores of QUINTUPLETS will air Sundays (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT).

"Celebutantes" Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie make a much-anticipated return in THE SIMPLE LIFE 2 (Wednesdays, 9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT). This time around, the best friends pack up their Louis Vuitton bags for the ultimate cross-country road trip, traveling from Miami Beach to Beverly Hills in a hot pink pickup pulling an Airstream trailer, and accompanied only by a road map and their trendy dogs Tinkerbell and Honey Child – no cell phones, cash or credit cards. As the girls go from life in the fast lane to life in the carpool lane, the question still remains: Can they survive THE SIMPLE LIFE 2 -- and can America survive them?

METHOD & RED (Wednesdays, 9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) stars real-life hip-hop artists Method Man and Redman as unlikely residents of a ritzy gated community. The 12-year-old boy next door is jazzed about living near his idols, but the rest of their straight-laced neighbors aren't very excited about the rappers moving into the previously quite, staid neighborhood.

Encores of METHOD & RED will air Tuesdays (8:30-9:00 PM ET/PT).

Original episodes of OLIVER BEENE return Sunday, June 6 (7:00-7:30 PM ET/PT) to kick-off a night of favorite and new FOX comedies.